Hugo's Blogspotting: 3 July

Rizen Leaves UltimateBet

Part of Ultimatebet’s image building strategy since their super-user account debacle recently has been to make some big profile signings in the form of internet legends Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy and Eric “Rizen” Lynch.

As you’d expect from a poker community with fire in its belly both of these players have come in for a lot of flak. Whilst I can understand why people would feel the need to criticise others for taking a sponsorship deal from a company with questionable integrity, I am still bemused at how self-righteous poker players can be from behind the safety of their laptops.

Well it seems that a lot of observers’ feelings and thoughts on the matter will now be vindicated as Rizen has pulled out of his deal with UB. From his blog:

“After a lot of reflection and thought, I have decided to separate myself from the Ultimate Bet brand. I hope that everyone will respect my privacy, as I wish to not go into the decision in any great detail at this time. At this point in time I just believe that the things I'm trying to accomplish in my career are not in sync with the Ultimate Bet brand.”

That is what I call interesting wording. What exactly is one trying to accomplish when one is a professional poker player? And what does being “in sync” with a brand have to do with that? Hmmm, sounds like Rizen has employed some sort of PR type to help him write this particular blog.

“It was not an easy decision, and I would like to thank Annie and everyone else at UB for taking time out of their busy schedules at the World Series of Poker to talk to me about many things as I worked through my decision. They were extremely gracious with their time and extremely understanding, and I cannot thank them enough for that.”

In a way this new dramabomb does show the power of the people. The only forum I had a look at about the Bax and Rizen signing was twoplustwo and it’s safe to say that the overall tone was one of disbelief, anger and disappointment that these internet legends would take a deal from UB. I imagine the posters on other forums expressed the same thoughts. In fact, Rizen himself made a post on twoplustwo defending his getting into bed with UB. I’m sure he would deny it, but it sounds to me like these message boards had an influence on his decision to get out of that particular bed.

His most recent blog goes into a little more detail on his departure.

“I was really hoping I could keep things private for a while and not create a big stir, but I feel I need to address my resignation from UB in a little more detail because of some of the rampant speculation that is going on. I really didn't think it would be as big of a deal as it has been.”

Well I have to say that seems quite naïve. Seeing as taking UB’s sponsorship dollar caused a huge rumpus in the first place what did Rizen expect? To quietly slope off and no questions asked. Considering the paranoia surrounding UB it’s not surprising that people think it’s “a big deal” that he has changed his mind.

So why did he change his mind? Did he see first-hand that there is still a super-user account in action? Or that management at UB do not have their customers’ best interests at heart. Whatever the reason Rizen is not telling.

“Since my main thesis behind joining in the first place was that UB had all their ducks in a row and that going forward they had all the pieces in place to make sure everything was handled smoothly and correctly, when doubts started to surface around that thesis I had to start to re-evaluate it.”

What the hell does that mean? I didn’t realize that Rizen was bi-lingual – English and Bullshit. If you can understand what he’s going on about in that last quote please feel free to email us here at Poker Verdict and explain it.

To be honest it’s none of my business whether some big winner online signs up with a poker site or not. For me, Rizen’s big mistake was trying to justify his deal in the first place and now that he’s changed his mind his second mistake is trying to appease his former sponsors with some weird diplomacy. As a wise old bird once said, “Get it quietly”. Let all the forum gossipers do their worst – if there is one weakness that all poker players suffer from it’s caring about what others think about them.

In fact, why is he still trying to stay friends with UB? That seems a little weird to me too. At least he has taken all his money off the site, although I suspect this will just fuel the super-user account rumours even more.

The Shirt off his Back

Anyway, back to normality and the usual WSOP bloggery nonsense. Bond18 is one of the main contributors to the Poker From The Rail blog and this entry finds him musing on the various pros he has played with during the ’08 Series.

One pro is none other than Poker Verdict’s very own Neil Channing:

“I played with Neil very briefly during one of the low buy in NLH events. The most noticeable thing about Neil Channing is that he wears the same ensemble of long sleeved white under shirt with a bright red Poker Verdict T-shirt every single day. No really, I mean every day. I see him at the Rio all the time and it’s never been anything else for like three weeks.”

Whilst I would not be surprised if the powers that be at Poker Verdict only gave Neil one PV shirt to wear I feel I have to come to Neil’s defense here and tell you all that the Irish Champ actually took about a dozen Poker Verdict shirts with him to Vegas.

At least it’s good to hear that he takes his sponsorship seriously and the iconic Gooners-style shirt is never off his back. Still, I can understand Bond18’s suspicions – the World Series is not just the home of legendary poker players, but also a home to world champion non-bathers. Mind you, with all that juicy action going on, who’s got time to have a bath? You can get clean when you’re dead.

Luck be a Lady Tonight

One person who is definitely not worrying about their hygiene is Paul Wasicka. When he made the final table in ’06 he wore the same shirt every day. Who said poker players aren’t superstitious?

Unlike most players who spend a lot of their time studying and thinking about strategy and all that bollocks Wasicka understands and knows what it takes to make the final of the Mother of all Poker Tournaments.

From his blog:

“dear lovely, sweet, awesome, Lady Luck,

This is Paul. You’ve been very good to me in the past and I’d really like for us to get back together. We make a good pair. I need you by my side.

You remember how the two of us cruised through the 06 Main Event? You looking all sexy and me looking like the degenerate that I am? Well that dirty man is back. You might recognize me tomorrow. I’ll be wearing that huge ugly plaid shirt that I wore for three days straight in 06. I’ll also be wearing my lucky boxers.

I’ll be at the Rio tomorrow, baby. Meet me there?”

It's No Sacrifice

Talking of superstitious poker players my mate Vicky Coren has a new website which naturally features her blog. Of course I’m a bit biased, but judging by the first entry, there will be many a good posting from the EPT Champ.

Having said that, there might be a few poker players who think they have tuned into the wrong blog when they read the opening paragraph:

“According to Sophocles, the accursed Oedipus (destined to kill his father and marry his mother) was advised by Creon to make offerings to the gods. Oedipus failed to do so; the city of Thebes was laid waste by plague, and the family was plunged into tragedy for generations.”

I suspect that a lot of players reading that are now trying to look up Sophocles’ record in the Hendon mob database. Of course, in her learned way Vicky is alluding to the fact that many people of southern Mediterranean descent love indulging in card games with large sums of money at stake.

Actually what she’s saying is that she has made day two of the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E tournament. Now a lot of players I know would be fretting about their chip counts and who’s gonna be on their table, and how will they play said persons and so on, but not Vicky. She understands the reality of poker and gambling:

“I realized that offerings would have to be made to the gods. Goats are hard to come by on the Strip, so I decided to throw money at the problem.

The Horse was due to begin again at 3pm. So I bought into the $1500 No Limit Holdem at midday. That would mean, once the Horse started, that I’d be in two tournaments at once – moving between the two would be very complicated and annoying, and fate would surely guarantee me a long afternoon of that!”

Exactly! If you enter, say, a two day tournament knowing that you have another commitment the next day you are odds on to end day 1 amongst the chip leaders.

Anyway, I’m not going to ruin the rest of Vicky’s H.O.R.S.E story for you, but I shall leave you with an acute observation from her about Vegas. I’m guessing that she was thinking that she was making a clever and witty joke when she wrote this, but when I first read it I took it as reality.

“Yesterday I ordered a tomato soup in the Terrace Pointe café and it came with a deep-fried cheese sandwich on the side. That was the garnish.”

Good stuff, welcome to the Blogosphere Vicky….

Hugo 'Chimney Sweep' Martin

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